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Summer Break Mode: On!

Former Wayne-Westland Community School District teacher and school board

member Tom Buckalew talks classroom etiquette, life lessons, and vacation plans

By Courtney Conover fore they discovered how bad I was.
Having retired from teaching in So, primarily, I taught 11th grade
2009, Tom Buckalew has become history until they moved the pro-
well accustomed to having free time gram to the 10th grade. And, on and
on his hands. off, I taught an English class here
But that’s not to say he’s idle—far and there along the way—and I
from it. taught some other social studies
On tap for Buckalew, 78, is a courses.
summer brimming with the kind of CC: What was the absolute best
activity that fuels the soul. thing about being a teacher?
“We’ll be doing some landscaping TB: You know, there are always
work on our yard—something that’s those kids who give you trouble, but
long overdue,” begins Buckalew, “I by and large, it was the kids [that
golf with a group of former teach- were the best part]. They keep you
ers—we’ve kind of formed an infor- young. I really enjoyed working with
mal golf league—and we try to get the kids. There are always bad
out twice a week, so that’s going to days—you know that. But there were
be an important part of my summer, so many more good days.
and then my wife and I hope to take CC: What was the absolute
a couple of mini vacations around worst?
the state—the UP, see the Pictured TB: I could point to a problem I
Rocks, or go over on the west side to had with an administrator, or a prob-
Grand Rapids and see the Meijer lem I had with a member of the
Gardens…there are so many won- staff—a couple, in fact. But those
derful places.” Tom Buckalew with his wife Claudia and his family at his last school board meeting. were incidents. I’m not sure I could
In short, this is what retirement point to a bad thing. A friend of mine
should look like. And it’s well-de- different than the summers when grade, my teachers always kept a once said, “I come to school every
served. you were teaching… couple history books that they would day with a plan, and I try to achieve
This chapter of Buckalew’s life Tom Buckalew: Well, for so let students borrow—there was a what’s on that plan.” And I thought,
story comes after decades of service many years, I always looked forward Davy Crockett book, an Abraham What a wonderful way to summarize
within the field of education and, to summer because it is a change of Lincoln book…I got to take those what to do. And I’ve kind of stolen
most notably, Wayne-Westland Com- pace, and you’re out of the class- home. And they instilled in me the that line from him. Now, I didn’t al-
munity Schools. Upon graduating room. But I always worked in the idea that I really liked history, or at ways get everything done. But that is
high school from Flint Central High summer. I had a job one summer least the biography part. Other disci- what I tried to do. The day of a
School in Flint, Michigan, in 1963, putting new drive lines in car plines, not so much. So, I followed teacher is filled with teachable mo-
Buckalew entered Eastern Michigan washes. We would dig ‘em out and through with it and took all the his- ments.
University where he earned a Bache- pour the concrete for the new drive tory I could in high school. And then, CC: What is your biggest pet-
lor of Science and master’s degree line; for a couple of years, I worked in college, I always chose history peeve regarding poor classroom eti-
before obtaining an education spe- in a small steel factory; but mostly, I when I had an elective opportunity. quette?
cialist certificate from Wayne State taught driver’s education. I had a CC: But the sport of wrestling TB: While I was on the school
University. After completing a stu- summer job into the mid-90s. So, I played a part, too, right? board, I went back [to Glenn] to visit,
dent teaching assignment at South didn’t start taking the summers off TB: In high school, I was blessed and I saw some kids standing in the
Junior High in Allen Park, Buckalew, until [approximately] 1992. to have a wonderful gentleman as my hall with a teacher…and they were
a self-professed “GM boy from Flint,” CC: Let’s rewind and go all the wrestling coach. And I was so im- on their cellphones. I was internally
spent his entire teaching career— way back to the beginning. Tell me pressed by what he did and how he going ballistic—until the teacher
which consisted of an impressive 41 about the start of your adventure in moved and acted that I really wanted pulled out his cellphone! And it was
years—at John Glenn High School. teaching. to be a teacher. And a coach. permissible. It was something I
“It was a fantastic place,” he re- TB: In 1967 and 1968, I had an CC: How long have you lived in wasn’t prepared to see. It wasn’t like
members of his nearly four-decade opportunity to do two things: I was a the City of Wayne? they were doing anything wrong—it
tenure in Rocket country. student teacher in Allen Park—at TB: I lived in Westland for 20 was between classes, and they were
Buckalew recently led The Wayne South Junior High—and at the same years, and this is our 35th year in permitted to do it. But in my day,
Dispatch on a trip down Memory time, I coached wrestling at Ypsilanti Wayne. which wasn’t too many days or years
Lane while also providing a glimpse Lincoln. So that was kind of my first CC: John Glenn is where you of- earlier than that, oh, no, you couldn’t
of what his future has in store. introduction to the profession. ficially started—and where you re- have a cellphone. So, as times
CC: What prompted you to be- tired. But did you always teach solely change, you either have issues—or
Courtney Conover: Your plans come a teacher in the first place? history/social studies? you have to change with the times.
for this summer sound lovely. But TB: I always wanted to be one, re- TB: I was hired to teach English,
I’m guessing this summer looks a lot ally. When I was in the 4th or 5th but I got out of that very quickly—be- See Buckalew, page 11
4 · August 2023 · The Wayne Dispatch